BARNEY MCDONALD from the Sunday Star Times writes: The first time I saw Peter Jackson on set directing The Lord of the Rings trilogy, the (now trim) film-maker was sat barefoot in a big, comfy armchair of dubious origin. He’d get up and move around, interacting with actors and crew, but before long he’d be back in the low, rounded chair, staring at his monitors, deep in thought.
During shooting of pick-ups for The Twin Towers [SIC] and The Return of the King, I spent a week apiece with a veritable United Nations of international media, watching Jackson working on set and location, snatching moments to talk to him about his epic journey with the film. Always unflappable, ever affable, Jackson controlled his environment with understated and seemingly effortless ease, so much so that the armchair became a symbol for the man himself. Whenever he wasn’t on set, the chair remained, motionless and serene, commanding respect on behalf of its master. More..
Posted in:
Share:
Celebriel sends along this article about the closure of NZ’s Deer Park, a filming location for many scenes in LOTR (notably the flight of the Rohan refugees to Helm’s Deep and Aragorn’s fall over the cliff). Queenstown tourist attraction Deer Park Heights has been closed to visitors after nearly 40 years. Owner Frank Mee said he was closing the park, but it was not for sale. He said the park had been making money and was “very popular”. “Everyone is going bankrupt in Queenstown, but we are not. . . we’re just getting too old, so we’re giving up,” he said. Mr Mee was born in 1922 and he, and his wife Jean, opened the park in 1970. More..
Posted in:
Share:
Special effects wizards Weta Digital have scored $5.8 million in Government funding for a research partnership. Science and Technology Minister Wayne Mapp said Weta’s investment would be on a basis of at least two-for-one. “It’s about growing new products and processes for export.” The joint partnership with TechNZ – the business investment programme of the Foundation for Research, Science and Technology – is intended to accelerate the growth of New Zealand’s strong creative digital industry. More..
Posted in:
Share:
Ian Brodie, founding curator of the New Zealand Fighter Pilots Museum, is taking up a new position as media and communications manager at the Hobbiton tourist attraction at Matamata, near Hamilton. Meanwhile, a proposed $10 million revamp of the Wanaka museum is on hold indefinitely. Mr Brodie (52) has worked at the museum since it was founded in 1992 by Sir Tim Wallis. More..
Posted in:
Share:
linuxelf sends in this video from a New Zealand television station that has clearly fallen head-over-heels for Peter Jackson and also gives a great look at the size of Comic-Con. There is a short story with a link to a video found here.
Posted in:
Share:
The hobbit holes of Matamata are coming to life again. The farmer’s paddock made famous as Hobbiton in the Lord of the Rings movies is being resurrected for two The Hobbit prequel films. The Waikato set was stripped in 2002 except for the frames of 17 hobbit holes underground houses for the fictional creatures. But now fruit trees are being planted, hedgerows are being groomed and new hillocks are being marked off as the sites of more hobbit homes. More..
Posted in:
Share:
